Mask structure



NOV. 13, 194-5. D N 2,388,835

MASK STRUCTURE Filed April 20, 1944 v INVENTOR. JAMES EDWARD DUGG AN M/WKW ATTORNEYS Patented Nov. 13, 1945 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

James Edward Duggan, Birmingham, Mich.

Application April 20, 1944, Serial No. 531,957

6 Claims. (01. 91-65) This invention relates generally to devices that are used during painting and plating operations to protect certain portions of articles from paint or plating material applied to adjacent portions One of the essential objects of the invention is I to provide a masking element having a portion capable of protecting an interiorly splined tubular portion of the housing from paint or plating material applied to the exterior of the housing.

Another object is to provide a masking element having a portion capable of protecting the interior of a cup-shaped portion of the housing from paint or plating material applied to the exterior thereof.

Another object is to provide a one piece masking element that is preferably formed from resilient material such as rubber or rubber composition and that is shaped in such a way relative to the interior of the housing that it is adapted to have tight sealing engagement with the housing to exclude paint or plating material from the interior thereof.

Another object is to provide a mask structure wherein a portion of the mask is shaped in such a way that it is adapted to be placed under compression and have a vacuum lock with the housing when applied thereto so that it will be maintained in proper masking position relative to the housing.

Another object is to provide a mask structure wherein a portion of the mask is shaped in such a way that it is adapted to be placed under tension to hold laterally projecting portions of the element in sealing engagement with opposite ends of the interiorly splined tubular portion of the housing.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that is capable of protecting the portions of the article to be masked without interfering with the painting or plating operations.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that may be easily and quickly applied thereto and removed from the article to be masked without marring or impairing any part thereof.

Another object is to provide a mask structure that may be used repeatedly Without being scrapped.

,Another object is to provide a mask structure that is simple in construction, economical to manufacture, and efficient in operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this inventionwill beinade more apparent as this description proceeds, es pecially when considered in connection withithe accompanying drawing, wherein: "I

Figure 1 is a top plan View of a housing and mask structure applied thereto, with parts broken away and in section; v

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the assembly illustrated in Figure 1, with "parts broken away and in section; .i

Figure 3 is an elevational View of-the assembly, with parts broken away and in section Figure 4 is an elevational view of the. masking element, with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the masking element illustrated in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a bottom plan View of the masking element illustrated in Figure 4. e

Referring now to the drawing, A is ,a housing having a cup-shaped portion 9 and an .interiorly splined or toothed tubular portion .lli, and ,B.is a masking element embodying my invention for preventing paint or plating material appliedto the exterior of the housing from entering the in terior thereof.

As shown, the masking element B is formed of resilient material such as rubber or rubber corniposition and comprises a substantially Lcupshaped portion or body 29 engageable with the cup-shaped portion 9 of the housing, a tubular portion 22 adapted to extend axially of the tu-. bular portion Ill and to cover the splines orteeth I I, and a flange portion 23 adapted to overlie and form a seal with the outer end of the tubular portion 10. 3 7

In the present instance, the cup-shaped por tion 26 of the masking element is slightly over size relative to the cup-shaped portion 9 of-the housing so that it has to be compressed fp j fit Within the same. Such compression may be effected by shoving or pressing the annular part 24 of the masking element'inwardly' within the housing toward the base part 3| thereof. v

Preferably the annular part 24 of the masking element is provided in the exterior thereof with an annular groove 26 that opens toward and is closed by the annular part 2'! of the cupshaped portion 9 of the housing when the masking element B is in operative marking position.

Inasmuch as the annular part 24 is oversize relative to the annular part 21, it will be apparent that the side wall portions 28 and 29 of the groove will grip and have tight sealing pressure engagement with the annular portion 21 after the cup-shaped portion 20 of the masking element is compressed in the cup-shaped portion 9 of the housing. In fact, air in the groove 26 will be expelled when the mask is compressed as described, hence a vacuum lock will be created in the groove 26 between the annular portions 24 v and 21 when the parts are assembled.

In addition to the groove 26, there is also an annular groove 30 in the base part 25 of the cup-shaped portion of the masking element, preferably at the juncture of said base part 25 with the annular part 24, so that the groove 3i] will open toward both the base 3| and annular part 21 of the housing when the parts are assembled. Thus, when the annular part 24 of the masking element B is compressed inwardly within the housing, the air within the groove 39 will be expelled therefrom to create a second ID of the housing when the parts are assembled.

As a result, no paint or plating material can enter the tubular part I of the'housing to contact the teeth or splines II as they are within a closed chamber bounded by the annular parts It and 22 and lateral portions 23 and 25.

In use, the one piece masking element B may be applied to the housing A by squeezing or folding the maskingelement so that the flange 23 thereof may be initially pushed and then pulled through the tubular portion ID of the housing from the cup-shaped portion 9 thereof. When the flange 23 is pulled toward the outer end of the tubular part H! of the housing, the base part 25 of the element B .will abut and be stopped by the base part 3| of the housing. When the flange 23 is pulled out of the tubular part IQ of the housing the tubular part 22 of the element will be stretched and placed under tension. Hence, when the flange 23 is released beyond the outer end of the tubular portion [0 of the housing, it will snap back into tight sealing engagement with the outer end of said tubular portion ID. The annular part 24 of the masking element may then be shoved or pressed inwardly in the cup-shaped portion of the housing toward the base 31 thereof to obtain the double vacuum lock mentioned to complete the operative masking position of the element B relative to the housing.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Means for protecting the interior of a housing from paint or plating material applied to the exterior thereof, the housing having a substantially cup-shaped portion and an interiorly splined tubular portion opening into but projecting outwardly from the base of said cup-shaped portion, comprising a resilient masking element having a substantially cup-shaped portion adapted to fit within the cup-shaped portion of the housing, a tubular portion projecting outwardly from the base of the cup-shaped portion and adapted to extend through the tubular portion of the housing over the splines therein, and a lateral .flange at the outer end of the tubular portion adapted to overlie and have sealing engagement with the outer end of the tubular portion of the housing, the cup-shaped portion of the element being adapted to be compressed within and having means by which one or more vacuum locks may be created with the cup-shaped portion of the housing, and the tubular portion of the element having a length slightly less than the length of the tubular portion of the housing so that said lateral flange and the base of the cup-shaped portion of the element will be held under tension against opposite ends of the tubular portion of the housing to prevent paint or plating material from contacting said splines when said element is applied as aforesaid to said housing. a

2. Means for protecting the interior of a housing from paint or plating material applied to the exterior thereof, the housing having a substantially cup-shaped portion and an interiorly splined tubular portion opening into but projecting outwardly from the base of said cup-shaped portion, comprising a one piece masking element formed from rubber or rubber composition and having a substantially cup-shaped portion adapted to fit within the cup-shaped portion of, the housing, an elongated portion projecting outwardly from the base of the cup-shaped portion and adapted to extend through the tubular portion of the housing, and a lateral flange at the outer end of the elongated portion adapted to overlie and have sealing engagement with the outer end of the tubular portion of the housing, the cup-shaped portion of the element being adapted to be compressed within and having means by which one or more vacuum locks may be created with the cup-shaped portion of the housing, and the elongated portion of the element having a length slightly less than the length of the tubular portion of the housing so that said lateral flang and the base of the cup-shaped portion of the element will be held under tension against opposite ends of the tubular portion of the housing to prevent paint or plating material from contacting said splines when said element tially cup-shaped portion and a tubular portion opening into but projecting outwardly from the base of said cup-shaped portion, comprising a resilient masking element having a substantially cup-shaped portion adapted to fit within the cupshaped portion of the housing, a tubular portion projecting outwardly from the base or the cupshaped portion and adapted to extend through the tubular portion of the housing, and a lateral flange on the tubular portion adapted to overlie and have sealing engagement with the outer end of the tubular portion of the housing, the cupshaped portion of the element being slightly oversize relative to the cup-shaped portion of the housing and adapted to be compressed within and having means by which one or more vacuum locks may be created with the cup-shaped portion of the housing, and the tubular portion of the element having a length slightly less than the length of the tubular portion of the housing so that said lateral flange and the base of the cup-shaped portion of the element will be held under tension against opposite ends of the tubular portion of the housing to prevent paint or plating material from contacting the interior of said tubular portion of the housing when said element is applied as aforesaid to said housing.

4. Means for protecting the interior of a'housing from paint or plating material applied to the exterior thereof, the housing having a substantially cup-shaped portion and a tubular portion opening into but projecting outwardly from the base of said cup-shaped portion, comprising a one piece masking element formed from rubber or rubber composition and having a substantially cup-shaped portion adapted to fit within the cupshaped portion of the housing, an elongated portion projecting outwardly from the base of the cup-shaped portion and adapted to extend through the tubular portion of the housing, and a lateral flange on the elongated portion adapted to overlie and have sealing engagement with the outer end of the tubular portion of the housing, the cup-shaped portion of the element being slightly oversize relative to the cup-shaped portion of the housing and adapted to be compressed within and having means by which one or more vacuum locks may be created with the cup-shaped portion of the housing, and the elongated portion of the element having a length slightly less than the length of the tubular portion of the housing so that said lateral flange and the base of the cup-shaped portion of the element will be held under tension against opposite ends of the tubular portion of the housing to prevent paint or plating materal from contacting the interior of said tubular portion of the housing when said element is applied as aforesaid to said housing.

Means for protecting the interior of a housingfrom paint or plating material applied to the exterior thereof, the housing having a substantially cup-shaped portion and an opening in the base of said cup-shaped portion, comprising a masking element having a substantially cupshaped body adapted to fit snugly within the cupshaped portion of the housing, a resilient elongated portion projecting outwardly from the base of said cup-shaped body and adapted to extend through said opening, and a flange on said elongated portion adapted to overlie and form a seal with the outer edges of said opening, the elonated portion of said masking element being shorter than the depth of the opening so that said elongated portion is under tension and is operable to hold the cup-shaped body of the masking element in operative masking relation with the cup-shaped portion of the housing and is operable to hold the flange of said element in tight sealing engagement with the outer edges of said opening when the parts are assembled.

6. Means for protecting the interior of a housing from paint or plating material applied to the exterior thereof, the housing having a substan tially cup-shaped portion and a tubular portion opening into but projecting outwardly from the base of said cup-shaped portion, comprising a masking element formed from resilient material and having a substantially cup-shaped body engageable with the cup-shaped portion of the hous ing, an elongated portion adapted to extend axially through the tubular portion of the housing, and a flange portion on said elongated portion and adapted to overlie and form a seal with the outer end of the tubular portion of the housing, the cup-shaped body of said element being slightly oversize relative to the cup-shaped portion of the housing so that said cup-shaped body has to be compressed to fit within the cup-shaped portion of the housing, the cup-shaped body of said element being provided in the outer sides thereof with means by which one or more vacuum locks may be created with the cup-shaped portion of the housing when the cup-shaped body is compressed as aforesaid, the elongated portion of said element being slightly shorter than the tubular portion of the housing so that said elongated portion is under tension and is operable to hold the flange portion of said element under tension in tight sealing engagement with the outerend of the tubular portion of the housing when the parts are assembled.

' JAMES EDWARD DUGGAN. 

